File, temporary binder, loose-leaf book, and the like.



PATENTED JUNE 1a. 1907.

. J. WALKER, JR. FILE, TEMPORARY BINDER, LOOSE LEAF BOOK, AND THE LIKE.-

APPLIOATION FILED DEO. 29, 1904.

'zvrom- THE NORRIS PETER: ca., WASHINGTON, n.

JOHN WALKER, JR, or PUTNEY, LONDON, ENGLAND; j

FILE, TEMPORARY BINDER, LOOSE-LEAF BOOK, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed December 29, 1904. Serial No. 238,718.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN WALKER, Jr., a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing in Putney, London, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Files, TemporaryBinders, Loose-Leaf Books, and the Like, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to files, temporary binders, looseleaf books andthe like, and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

This invention is especially directed to that type of binder which isprovided with one or more pairs of prongs which are adapted to beseparated to permit the insertion or removal of the leaves, and to bebrought to registering position to prevent displacement of the leaves.

My invention aims to provide a binder of this type in which a widelateral separation of the prongs is obtained, so that the leaves may beeasily inserted and removed and at the same time to provide a binderhaving the minimum width and thickness.

A further object is to so mount the filing prongs that they shall becapable of withstanding the severe strain to which they are subjected,and to provide means whereby they are rigidly locked in their closedpositions.

In the drawings wherein I have shown one embodiment of my invention,Figure 1 is a plan of the device showing the prongs open ready to permitthe insertion or removal of the leaves; Fig. 2 is a similar view showingthe prongs closed; Fig. 3 is a section on the line A-Bof Fig. 1; Fig. 4is an inverted plan or bottom view showing the means of attachment Iprefer to employ Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line OD of Fig. 4

Fig. 6 is a cross section of a modified construction,

In the preferred construction shown I provide two elongated members orplates (1-, I), each of which carries one or more filing prongs c.Preferably such prongs are riveted or otherwise fastened to the uppersur faces of the-plates. This construction not only provides anextremely rigid mounting for the prongs, but enables the plate a toslide completely over upon the top of the plate I). Preferably theplates are of precisely the same width so that when superosed the deviceoccupies no greater space l aterally than one of the plates. This isimportant as it enables me to materially reduce the width of the binderor loose leaf book to which my invention is applied.

According to my invention I provide for a lateral separation of theprongs which is proportionately very much greater than that heretoforeobtained in this type of binder. To this end I provide a guiding meansalong which the plates are constrained to slide in their relativemovements, such guiding means being shown in the drawing as slots 9formed in the under plate I), into which extend pins h, j carried on thetop plate a. In Fig. 6 the pins are shown as carried by the lower plateI) and slide in slots formed in the top plate a. Any other suitableguide may be substituted.

According to my invention the direction of the slots 9 approaches quiteclosely to that of the transverse axis of the plates, so that as theplates move apart, the prongs c, c are widely separated as shown. Thiswide lateral separation with the narrow width of the plates shown isrendered possible by so constructing the parts that the plates arecompletely superposed when thebinder is closed. Preferably the slots gextend obliquely as shown, so that the prongs may be separated by arelative lengthwise movement of the plates.

According to my invention I provide means for securely locking theplates in their closed position so that no lateral strain upon theplates will separate them. Such means preferably consist of slots f, f,which are formed as continuations of the slots 9, g, the slots f beingextended in agdirection lengthwise of the plates, so that when thelatter are in their closed positions the pins h, j bear against theinner sides of the slots, thus preventing lateral movement of theprongs. This hence necessitates an initial longitudinal movement of'theplates before any lateral separation of the prongs takes place.Preferably also I provide similar slots f at the opposite ends of theslots g, such slots locking the plates in their open positions duringinsertion or withdrawal of the leaves. The inclination of the slots 9 isespecially desirable in connection With the slotsf,, since it permits acomplete opening or closing movement of the prongs by a single andpractically continuous movement of the plate a in one general direction.

In its closed position the plate a, preferably extends completely overthe plate I) as shown thus providing a smooth and continuous surface ,onthe top of the binder so that the edges of the leaves cannot in any waybe caught during opening of the book. The

plate a is provided with recesses is into which the prongs c, 0, uponthe lower plate enter when the device is closed.

To provide some means for holding the plates in their closed positionsagainst longitudinal movement along the slots f, I preferably form thelower plate with a knob or projection r and the upper plate with arecess 8 as best shown in Fig. 1. A thumb piece m may be provided at oneend of theplate a to facilitate its manipulation.

When my device is used as a binder for a loose leaf book, any suitablemeans may be provided for attaching the binder to the covering of thebook. In the construction shown I prefer to provide a third plate 0(Fig. 4) which is riveted or otherwise secured to the lower plate I)with a binding material 'n interposed between the two. In this case thethird plate 0 is preferably provided with slots p of the same generaloutline as the slots f, f and 9 but of larger proportions in order toreceive the heads of the pins h, j, so that the latter do not extendbeyond the lower surface of the plate. For use in connection with files,the plate I) may be attached directly to a board or other support.

It Will be seen that by my invention I provide a binder of the utmostsimplicity of construction, in which the prongs are rigidly mounted andcapable of withstanding any strain to which they are subjected. It willbe further seen that I am enabled to provide an extremely wide lateralseparation of the prongs, a result not heretofore accomplished in adevice of this character, and that such separation takes place withoutany undue longitudinal movement of the plates, so that in practice theleaves carried by the plate a do not necessarily extend an a preciabledistance beyond the book cover w en the device is opened. It willfurther be seen that the wide separation of the prongs obtained by myinvention may be accomplished with a binder of extremely narrow widthwhen closed, whereby the thickness of the book is reduced and the deviceis adapted for books of much less size than those now in use. It willalso be observed that the device is extremely economical to manufacture,and has no complicated mechanism which is liable to derangement ordelicate parts which are liable to breakage.

While I have described in detail the preferred form of my invention, Ido not wish to be limited thereto as the same is susceptible ofconsiderable variation without departing from the invention.

What I claim is I. In a file, tem' orary binder or the like, thecombination 0 two plates each of which normally extends substantiallyacross the entire face of the other, and each of which is provided witha fastening prong, which prongs register in the normal positions of thelates, said plates being adapted to move ongitudinally and transverselyrelatively to each other to provide a wide lateral separation of theprongs said plates being provided with guiding means extendedsubstantially across the width of such plates and adapted to guide themin such movements.

2. In a file, tem orary binder or the like, the combination 0 two plateseach of which normally extends substantially across theentire face ofthe other, and each of which is provided with a fastening prong, whichprongs register in the normal positions of the lates, said plates beingadapted to move ongitudinally and transversely relatively to each otherto provide a Wide lateral separation of the prongs, said plates beingprovided with a pin and slot connection adapted to guide them in suchmovements, such slot extending obliquely substantially across the widthof such plates.

3. In a file, tem orary binder or the like, the combination 0' twoplates each of which tire face of the other, and each of which isprovided with a fastening prong, which prongs register in the normalpositions of the plates, said plates being adapted to movelongitudinally and transversely relatively to each other to provide awide lateral separation of the prongs, said plates being provided withguiding means extended substantially across the width ofsuch plates andadapted to guide them in such movements, and means for preventing aninitial lateral separation of the plates when in their normal positions.

4C. In a file, tern orary binder or the like, the combination 0 twoplates each of which normally extends substantially across the entireface of the other, and each of which is provided with a fastening prong,which prongs register in the normal positions of the lates, said platesbeing adapted to move ongitudinally and transversely relatively to eachother to provide a wide lateral separa tion of the prongs, said platesbeing provided normally extends substantially across the enwith a pinand slot connection adapted to guide them in such movements, such slotextending substantially across the width of such plates and having aportion extending 0 liquely substantially longitudinally of such plateswhereby toprevent an initial lateral se aration of the plates.

5. n a file, temporary binder or the like, the combination of two platesmounted one upon the other, and adapted to slide relatively to eachother, each of said plateshaving a rong, said prongs registering in thenorma positions of the plates, such plates having means for guiding themto move longitudinally and transversely relatively to each other toseparate such prongs, said means extending obliquely at such an angle tothe length of the plates that the latter tend to move to separate theprongs when under a lateral stress, and means .for preventing suchseparation.

6. In a file, temporary binder or the like, the combination of twoplates mounted one upon the other, and adapted to slide relatively toeach other, each of said plates having a prong, said prongs registeringin the normal positions of the plates, such plates having a pin and slotconnection adapted to guide them to move to separate such prongs, theslot of said connection extendmg obliquely at such an angle to thelength of the plates that the latter tend to move to separate the prongswhen under a lateral stress, such slot having a portion extending,

substantially longitudinally of such plates into which said pin moveswhen the plates are in their normal positions, whereby such separationis prevented until the plates are given an initia longitudinal movement.

7. In a file, temporary binder or the like, the combination of twoplates mounted one upon the other, and adapted to slide relatively toeach other, each of said plates having a prong, said prongs registeringin the normal positions of the plates, such plates having a pin and slotconnection adapted to guide them to move to separate such prongs, theslot of said connection extending obliquelv at such an angle to thelength of the plates that the latter tend to move to sepa rate theprongs when under a lateral stress, such slot having a portion extendingsubstantially longitudinally of such plates into which said pin moveswhen the plates are in their normal positions, whereby such separationis prevented until the plates are given an initial longitudinalmovement, and said slot having a similar portion at its opposite endadapted to prevent such plates from moving toward their closed positionsfrom their open positions.

8. In a file, temporary binder or the like, the combination of twoplates mounted one upon the other, and, each having a prong, one of saidplates having a slot having a portion extending obliquely in a directiontransverse to said plate, and a portion extending substantiallylongitudinally thereof, and the other of said plates having a partsliding in said. slot, whereby when such part is in the transverseportion of said slot the prongs may be laterally and longitudinallyseparated by a longitudinal movement of said plates, and when such partis in the longitudinal portion of said slot, lateral movement of theplates is resisted.

9. In a file, temporary hinder or the like, the combination of twoplates, each havin a prong, said plates being adapted to slide reatively to each other to separate said prongs, slots in the lower ofsaid plates, pins in the upper plate working in said slots and havingheads beneath said lower plate, a binding material beneath said lowerplate, and a third plate clamping such material against said lowerplate, and having slots within which said pin heads slide.

1.0. In files, temporary binders, loose leaf books or the like, an upperplate, a lower plate, the upper plate being provided with pins and thelower plate with slots, said pins being disposed in the slots, heads tosaid pins of greater width than the slots, a plurality of prongs on oneplate adapted to mate with similar prongs on the other plate, a thirdplate provided with slots and secured to the lower plate and so disposedthat the heads of the pins travel in the slots of the third plate, andbinding material disposed between the lower and third platessubstantially as de scribed. s

11. In files, temporary binders, loose leaf books or the like, an upperplate, a lower plate, the upper plate being provided with pins and thelower plate with slots, said pins being disposed in the slots, heads tosaid pins of greater width than the slots, a plurality of prongs on oneplate adapted to mate with similar prongs on the other plate, said slotshaving parts inclined to the horizontal axis of the device and partsparallel thereto, a third plate provided with slots and secured to thelower plate, and so disposed that the heads of the pins travel in theslots of the third plate, and binding material disposed between thelower and third plates, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN WALKER, JUNR. Witnesses:

JOHN VAUGHAN, GORDON MELVILLE CLARK.

